You’ve read all of the benefits of CBD hemp oil on various websites. You’ve done your research, yet you still have some questions. Namely, whether you should take CBD oil with food or on an empty stomach. Naturally, everyone who deals with CBD oil has their own opinion on the matter. Some say “take it with food”, others choose the second option. However, the minute you learn more about CBD oil digestion, you’ll have your answer. And that answer is a resounding ’yes’ to taking CBD hemp oil with food.
Anyone can tell you that the best way to consume something essentially means getting everything you can out of it. With food, the term experts commonly use is bioavailability. In short, bioavailability is how fast and to what extent can your body absorb a substance. Knowing how to best distribute CBD through your bloodstream so it can interact with your body’s systems will help you a lot.
You’ve taken medicine before – syrups, pills, capsules, etc. Like with all food, they too get absorbed through your digestive system. CBD oil, for instance, travels to the stomach but gets broken down along the way. The small intestine absorbs it next, after which it flows to your liver via the portal vein. Pay close attention – the liver is where CBD absorption rate can be improved with eating specific types of food.
So what happens in the liver, you ask? Cytochrome P450, a local family of enzymes, metabolizes the CBD prior to sending it throughout your circulatory system. However, what we call ’first pass metabolism’ further breaks down the CBD, and you get more than a hundred various metabolites. This right here is where the problem lies. You see, not all hundred of these metabolites will be of any use to your body, so most wind up excreted. Therefore, the bioavailability of CBD oil falls significantly, and not enough of it gets to your blood. There are, however, certain food types that can make CBD not go through first pass metabolism. They will allow your body to absorb more CBD.
What Type Of Food Is Ideal With CBD Hemp Oil?
Ideally, you should consume more foods that include fatty acids, or medium as well as long-chain triglycerides. These acids act as powerful binding agents. The liver metabolizes them directly into pure energy. As a consequence of this, CBD concentration isn’t reduced via first pass metabolism. In other words, your body will burn these fats and immediately use them, as well as CBD.
Testing the intake of CBD oil with food, University of Nottingham researchers concluded that fatty acids go well with this cannabinoid. In two separate studies, researchers learned that taking CBD hemp oil with food high with long-chain triglycerides bypassed a good deal of first pass metabolism. Furthermore, they measured the bioavailability of CBD, which increased four times when users took it after a meal.
That leaves one important question. If you plan on taking CBD oil with food, what food should it be? And the answer is focusing on what fatty acids you take. Any medium chain acid can contain anywhere between 6 and 10 carbons. That number goes up to 14 or more for long-chain acids. In practical terms, think of most oils and fats, as well as certain foods. Coconut, olive, soybean, and sesame oil all get a pass, as donuts, fish, meat, avocados, and eggs.
What If I Don’t Want To Regulate My Food?
It’s understandable that you’d rather not take CBD oil with food you might not like or enjoy. There are, of course, alternatives. One way to increase the bioavailability of your CBD is to consume it differently. Instead of taking CBD oil with food, try taking it sublingually. In other words, let it sit under your tongue for roughly a minute, maybe a minute and a half. Your mucous membranes will absorb the oil before it has the chance to reach the liver.
Another way is to vape the CBD. When you inhale a cloud filled with CBD, you absorb most of the compounds swiftly via your lungs’ alveoli. Like the method before it, this will allow CBD’s bioavailability raise.
There are, of course, more ways to manage CBD intake. However, the best option remains taking CBD oil with food orally, and you can find lists of foods and health tips online for this.